Plenty Going On

I've done the son of Il Bastardo, pretty much roughed out to the same dimensions with about an inch and a half extra length, Yew heartwood with a quarter sawn Ash backing.

The backing was cut from a 1/4 Ash log that I was given years ago, it had been felled by Chris Boyton for a bow making course he was doing in a Hertfordshire woodland and was surplus to requirement. I couldn't decide on Ash (cut following a ring) or Hickory for a backing, so I asked on the Primitive Archer, I'm never afraid to ask advice, but only from those who I know to have genuine experience. Anyhow, 1/4 sawn Ash was suggested by Marc StLouis (one of the top bowyers). It's not something I'd tried as a back, so I ran it through the bandsaw. It was a bit of a battle, I had to set the bandsaw to slow speed.
Even with a guide it took a lot of concentration to get a reasonable strip (about 1/4"). With some planing and sanding, this was reduced to give clean flat strip of  about 3/16" with only one slight waggle in the grain (and that is at the grip).
The heartwood belly was sawn to rough tapered limbs rectangular in section. It was glued up on a former with a tiny bit of reflex and a hint of deflex in the centre due to it being thicker at the grip but pulled down flat. Hopefully the diagram at the top of the post shows what I mean.

I took a video of it on the tiller getting close to completion, since then I've fitted the horn nocks and had it to 90# @27".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrF8nE6bBsY

I've been doing a bit to the crossbow project too, I've made some string catchers/buffers from rubber doorstops supported on turned Aluminium pillars. The Aluminium is decent quality aerospace grade alloy (7075) which machines much nicer than the bog standard stuff. (Note one limb is still covered in masking tape).

I've also re- tillered an reduced bow for a friend, taking about 20# off it and straightening out the sideways bend a bit! I replaced the hideous nocks too. I don't really know how people have the nerve to sell bows with nocks like that?